NHS prostate enlargement page receives over 16,000 visits following King’s diagnosis

Buckingham Palace released a statement on Wednesday to inform the public that King Charles III will undergo a "corrective procedure" next week for an enlarged prostate

Following the announcement of the King’s health condition, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of people visiting the NHS webpage for information on prostate enlargement.

According to NHS England, visits to the page offering advice on Benign prostate enlargement (BPE) jumped to one visit every five seconds as news of the King’s diagnosis emerged this week.

The page received 16,410 visits on Wednesday, the day of the Palace announcement, as against 1,414 visits received on Tuesday – a 1061 per cent increase in just a day.

The Palace said that Charles wanted to share his diagnosis so as to encourage more men who may be experiencing symptoms to get their conditions checked.

BPE is common in men over the age of 50, and around 70-80 per cent over the age of 75 are likely to have an enlarged prostate, said Ian Eardley, National Clinical Director for NHS England and a consultant urological surgeon in Leeds.

“Many men worry that having an enlarged prostate means they have an increased risk of developing prostate cancer but this isn’t the case.

“Help is available and there are a number of tests that can be done to rule out cancer.

“The symptoms of an enlarged prostate can be considerably improved by visiting your GP, taking medication and making lifestyle changes and, for most, there is no need for an operation,” the surgeon added.

Prostate enlargement or benign prostatic hyperplasia is believed to be caused by hormonal changes as a man gets older.

An enlarged prostate can affect how you pee (urinate), and may cause difficulty starting to pee, a frequent need to pee and difficulty fully emptying your bladder.

But it's not usually a serious threat to health, the NHS explained in its webpage.

“Surgery is usually only recommended for moderate to severe symptoms that have not responded to medicine,” it said.

Sometimes, BPE can lead to complications, such as a urinary tract infection (UTI), chronic urinary retention and acute urinary retention.

You can visit the NHS prostate enlargement page for more information on the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of benign prostate enlargement.